Work has begun on an upgrade of the stands and press box on Frank Bailey Field, with the project expected to be completed by the time students return this fall.
The project will cost $1.7 million and include seating for 1,500, four public rest rooms, a concession area, thirty seats for those who are physically challenged, and a fifty-five-foot enclosed press box. The facility will replace the wooden bleachers and ladder-structured press box that have been on the field since 1984.
“The renovation addresses a facilities need that we have faced for a long time,” said President Roger Hull. “The project is an important element in our Plan for Union
to make our facilities-academic, residential, and athletic-among the finest of the nation's liberal arts colleges. The upgrades will not only enhance our popular intramural program but will also vastly improve the appearance of that part of campus. I want to thank the many alumni, parents, friends, and corporations who have contributed to this project.”
Football, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's track, and women's field hockey compete on Bailey Field. The men's and women's soccer teams have the option of playing on Bailey Field, which has an artificial surface, or Garis Field, which is grass. Twelve of the College's twenty-seven team-oriented intramural programs play on Bailey Field.
Athletic Direcror Val Belmonte said the upgrade “is the first step in moving Union's athletic and recreational facilities into the twenty-first century, benefiting the entire campus community.”
The new press box will be enclosed with sliding tinted windows and will have electricity, telephone, and Internet connections. The current structure is an open-air box with a canvas covering over the top and down the side.
“This will be a fantastic recruiting tool for us,” said head football coach John Audino. “Our coaches have always sold Union on its outstanding academic reputation, the small class size, the involvement of the faculty, and the beauty of the campus. Now we have a great new facility to add to that already impressive list.”
Linda Bevelander, assistant director of athletics and head woman's lacrosse coach, looks at the improvements as a sign of a commitment to a campus community interested in a healthy body as well as an educated mind. “We have always been known for our strong commitment to educational opportunities, and we now will have a facility the entire campus can take pride in.”
Frank Bailey Field is named for the Class of 1885 alumnus who was a long-time trustee and treasurer of the College.